One of the evicted squatters of the 86 apartments under the Dolphin Estate Bridge, Ikoyi, Lagos, Usman Hassan, has opened up on why he ended up there.
Hassan, a 75-year-old Ghanaian, on Sunday, May 5, disclosed that he used to teach at Remo Divisional High School, Ogun State, before moving to Lagos.
The aged Ghanaian said he lost some of his belongings to the raid by state officials because he was not around when they came.
Fondly referred to as Baba Baraka, the man revealed: “The man who owned the place doesn’t force people, the engineers working in this company (referring to a company around) begged him for their workers to stay nearby and when they need them for work, they’ll enter the place.
“I don’t know exactly how much he collects from them, but personally, he didn’t collect anything from me.
“For people paying, whether it’s N250,000 or not, I don’t know.”
According to him, people found succour in the under-bridge apartments because “town is hard and they could not afford a rent within Lagos.”
He added, “You see, conditions are hard for people in the country and not everyone can afford houses in the town.
“I have been in this country since 1981 in Ogun State. I was a teacher at Remo Divisional High School for about 11 years before I came to Lagos.
“No work in town to survive on. This man pitied my condition and gave me space here. So, when this thing happened, I took my belongings and I am going again.”
Concerning his plans going forward, the foreigner noted: “Well, everything is in the hand of God.
“Sleeping under the bridge is dangerous, but the condition of the country made people resort to this. As you are seeing me, I don’t have a dime in my pocket.”